SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS OF FEAR OF FALLING AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN AND THEIR REPERCUSSIONS ON QUALITY OF LIFE

Abstract

Objective: To explore the social representations of fear of falling and their repercussions on quality of life among older adults with chronic pain. Material and Method: Qualitative study grounded in the Theory of Social Representations, conducted between March and June 2024 in the Rheumatology and Physiotherapy outpatient clinics of a university hospital in Northeastern Brazil. Fifty older adults with chronic pain participated, selected by convenience
sampling after clinical and cognitive screening. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and processed using Iramuteq® software through descending hierarchical classification, correspondence factor analysis, and thematic content analysis.
Results: Participants were predominantly women, with a mean age of 67.9 years. Corpus analysis, with 78.20% utilization, revealed five representational classes: risk factors, preventive attitudes, negative dimensions of fear, existential meanings, and perceptions of quality of life. Social representations revealed that fear of falling was associated with bodily fragility, loss of autonomy, functional dependence, and social restriction. Chronic pain emerged as a
central element in the construction of perceptions of vulnerability and functional limitation. Conclusion: Fear of falling, associated with chronic pain, negatively affects autonomy and quality of life among older adults, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary educational and care strategies aimed at promoting autonomy, safety, and healthy aging.